Among the few watching Ducks prep for Cal …

Here it is late Wednesday afternoon at McArthur Court, and the count is three people in attendance not directly involved with the Oregon basketball team. That would be a reporter, the radio voice of the Ducks, the esteemed Jerry Allen, and academic advisor Steve Stolp.

OK, one not directly involved.

Most days, there are at least a couple of members of the UO women’s team watching, but they’re already off to the Bay Area. Sometimes youth teams visit. On occasion, members of the Chinese contingent from the U.S. Basketball Academy up the McKenzie River stop in to watch and take notes.

This day, nada on all those guests.

Oh, wait, now there are two more practice viewers: a team physician and a close friend of UO coach Ernie Kent.

Wednesday is the day when the Ducks do much of their preparation for their Thursday opponent, in this case California. They started with a one-hour film session, and they’ll be working against the scout team along with regular drills, with an emphasis on shooting.

The scout team runs plays of the opponent, and simulates defenses. It’s at least a look at what to expect.

Some years, the scout team is a manager or two, and maybe a couple of assistant coaches to fill out the five-player unit.

This week, the scout team does include assistant coach Yasir Rosemond, but he still looks like he could play. The other scouters are two freshmen walk-ons John Elorriaga and Nicholas Fearn plus Drew Viney, a scholarship fresman coming back from his stress fracture in a foot bone, and redshirting Ben Voogd.

How many other scout teams have a player with Final Four experience? Voogd played there two years ago when he was a reserve at LSU. (The Siuslaw High graduate can’t play for the Ducks this season because he’s a transfer from another four-year school.)

There is this to say: this looks like a very important game for the Ducks. In fact, the next two Thursdays (next week at Washington) are going to be keys to this season, I’m thinking.

Here’s why: Oregon needs to get itself in front of teams that will contend with the Ducks for NCAA Tournament berths. That means California, Washington, USC, Arizona and Arizona State (let’s be honest here: the other two opponents on the coming weekends, Stanford and Washington State, are both bonus time for the Ducks, helps to the computer ratings no matter the results).

Oregon doesn’t need to already be behind Cal in the standings, especially with the Bears going to Corvallis on Saturday, while the Ducks have to contend with Stanford on Sunday. Plus, Cal’s next three games after this weekend are all at home, so Oregon better not let Cal get going.

It’s never a must-win situation this early in the season. But sometimes, it’s a better-win game, and this is one.

Ditto next Thursday in Seattle, no matter what happens this weekend for the Ducks and Huskies. Oregon needs some road wins, and even as difficult as Seattle has been for them in recent years, where better this season? At WSU? Or in the Bay Area or Los Angeles.

I don’t think so, but then, who expected that win in Tucson either.

Back to watching the scout team mimmick Cal. Is it just me, or do the scouters look shorter than the Bears?

Bob Clark has covered Oregon basketball over a span of the past six head coaches, from Dick Harter to Dana Altman. He’s watched some of the biggest wins for the Ducks, a couple of trips to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and yes, also the most-lopsided loss ever recorded in McArthur Court.